Published byStanford Medicine

Here’s something to think about before heading out for a summer weekend adventure: bedbugs. They still exist. And a new article from Wired offers a few practical tips to spot and avoid bringing home unwelcome guests.

From the piece (weigh the pros and cons of viewing “itch-inducing photos” before clicking the link below):

Tools you will need: A flashlight, or the flashlight feature of your phone. Use your phone to take photos of anything suspicious.

What you are looking for: Bedbugs hang out near their food source–you. After feeding, bed bugs poop, creating tell-tale brown stains of your clotted blood. You typically won’t see bugs — they are fairly tiny and can scurry quickly — but you will see these stains. You can find many itch-inducing photos here to help you know what to look for.

Author Gwen Pearson reminds readers that luggage is a popular mode of transportation for bedbugs, so stow your bags in the hotel room bathtub until the coast is clear. Check everything in sight. Sleep tight! And if you’ve made it through the night, check your sheets in the morning.